Sherman Hospital building plan gets negative report

But officials believe state will OK facility

May 31, 2006|By Richard Wronski, Tribune staff reporter.

Despite a reduction in the number of beds from 263 to 255, Sherman Hospital's proposed $310 million facility for Elgin's west side "does not appear to meet state criteria," according to a report released Tuesday.

But Sherman officials remained optimistic that the state hospital board would approve the project next week.

Members of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board will overlook the negative findings in the report and give Sherman the go-ahead, as it has other recent hospital projects that did not meet state criteria, predicted Christine Priester, a Sherman spokeswoman.

State guidelines governing the need for new hospitals are antiquated and need to be revised, she said.

"Applications are almost never found to be in compliance [with state guidelines]," she said. "Our application has fewer negative findings than most."

The report prepared by the board's staff reiterated conclusions it reached in February that Sherman's new hospital "may result in a maldistribution" of health-care service in northern Kane County.

Sherman wants to build its new hospital at Randall and Big Timber Roads, about 4 miles north of its main competitor and project opponent, Provena St. Joseph Hospital.

"It is further noted that the project does not appear to improve or maintain access to health care for residents. ... As a result, a positive finding cannot be made," the report said.

In March board members cited concerns over the number of beds the new hospital would provide and the effect the project would have on St. Joseph, which contends it would lose $8.7 million in revenue annually and could go out of business.

On Tuesday, William Brown, St. Joseph's president and CEO, said the new hospital failed to meet state rules and was unneeded.